Air India has a new chief executive, and the carrier's operational picture is anything but stable. Former Ethiopian Airlines CEO Tewolde Gebremariam was named to the top job as the Tata Group-owned airline grapples with record losses, a fatal crash investigation, and a cut of nearly a third of its international operations, according to BBC Business and Business Today.
New CEO steps into a turbulent operation
Air India announced the appointment on Wednesday, with Gebremariam succeeding Campbell Wilson, the former Singapore Airlines executive who stepped down in April, Business Today reported. Wilson had informed Chairman N Chandrasekaran in 2024 of his intention to step down during 2026, BBC Business noted, and had been preparing the airline for a smooth transition.
The board selected Gebremariam unanimously after an extensive search, Air India said, citing his leadership and operational expertise to steer the airline's "next phase of growth," BBC Business reported. Chandrasekaran framed the transition as a pivot from stabilisation to expansion.
"Having completed the initial phase of stabilisation, integration, and fleet commitments under Campbell's guidance, Air India is now entering a critical execution and expansion era." — N Chandrasekaran, Air India chairman, according to BBC Business
Gebremariam said he is looking forward to building a "world-class global airline" that "reflects India's extraordinary economic potential," BBC Business reported.
Who is Tewolde Gebremariam?
Gebremariam's aviation career spans four decades, with deep roots in cargo operations. He joined Ethiopian Airlines in 1985 and began his career in the cargo traffic handling department, Business Today reported. He retired as Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines in 2022, after leading the carrier for over a decade and expanding its fleet nearly threefold, making it Africa's most profitable airline, BBC Business reported.
His international assignments included Regional Director for India and South East Asia based in Mumbai, Area Manager for Saudi Arabia in Jeddah, and Area Sales Manager for the North East US and Canada based in New York after Ethiopian Airlines launched direct services to the United States, Business Today reported. He became Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales on August 16, 2004, Chief Operating Officer on July 1, 2006, and Group CEO on January 1, 2011, according to Business Today.
| Role | Date | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Officer, Marketing & Sales | August 16, 2004 | Global marketing and sales operations |
| Chief Operating Officer | July 1, 2006 | Commercial operations, flight operations, customer services, maintenance and engineering |
| Group CEO | January 1, 2011 | Full Ethiopian Airlines group |
Gebremariam has also held prominent international positions: member of the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's High-level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport (HLAG-ST), Board of Governors member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), and Executive Committee member of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), Business Today reported. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia and a Master's degree in Business Administration from The Open University in the United Kingdom.
What he inherits: losses, safety probes, and network cuts
Gebremariam takes over an airline that reported a record loss of nearly $2.3bn (£1.7bn) last month, BBC Business reported. Chandrasekaran has warned a turnaround could take up to a decade.
The airline's most significant challenge is the fallout from last June's fatal Ahmedabad-London crash that killed 260 people, BBC Business reported. The final crash report is due in October, BBC noted. The carrier has come under intense regulatory scrutiny since the 2025 crash, Business Today added.
Operational setbacks have compounded the financial stress. In March, a Delhi-Vancouver flight turned back after nearly eight hours because it lacked clearance to enter Canadian airspace, BBC Business reported. Business Today reported that the airline is contending with significant operational disruptions arising from the Middle East conflict, which has increased operating costs and intensified the impact of Pakistan's airspace restrictions.
India's wider aviation sector is facing pressure from rising costs, disrupted international routes due to the Iran war, aircraft delivery delays, and tighter regulatory scrutiny, BBC Business reported.
Fleet and network: the numbers
According to the Air India website, the airline operates a fleet of 198 aircraft, flying nearly 5,000 weekly flights to 91 destinations in India and abroad, BBC Business reported. The airline has also cut nearly a third of its international operations, BBC noted.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Fleet size | 198 aircraft |
| Weekly flights | ~5,000 |
| Destinations | 91 (India and abroad) |
| Latest reported loss | ~$2.3bn (£1.7bn) |
Implications for air cargo and freight forwarders
Freight forwarders and cargo operators will note that Gebremariam began his career in Ethiopian Airlines' cargo traffic handling department, giving him hands-on freight experience rare among major airline CEOs, Business Today reported. His tenure at Ethiopian Airlines, where he expanded the fleet nearly threefold, suggests familiarity with capacity deployment decisions that affect belly-hold cargo space.
The immediate air cargo context, however, is constrained. Air India's reduction of nearly a third of its international operations directly shrinks available belly-hold capacity on long-haul lanes, according to BBC Business. Rising operating costs from Middle East conflict disruptions and Pakistan airspace restrictions affect routing and fuel burn, Business Today reported. Aircraft delivery delays, listed by BBC Business as a sector-wide pressure, could slow any fleet-led cargo capacity recovery.
For logistics managers booking Air India space, the near-term watch items are operational reliability — following the Delhi-Vancouver turnaround and the March incidents — and the outcome of the crash investigation, which could alter regulatory oversight of the airline's flying programme.
Watch list
- October 2026: Final report on the Ahmedabad-London crash, according to BBC Business.
- Turnaround timeline: Chairman Chandrasekaran has warned recovery could take up to a decade, BBC Business reported.
- Regulatory scrutiny: Business Today reported continued intense oversight following the 2025 crash.
- International network: Further cuts or restoration of the one-third of international operations removed, per BBC Business.
- Aircraft deliveries: Sector-wide delivery delays could affect fleet plans, BBC Business reported.
- Middle East and Pakistan airspace: Ongoing disruptions and restrictions continue to raise operating costs, Business Today reported.
Sources:
